Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-03-28
A VALUABLE PAINTING.
MElssoNlERs MASTERPIECE BRINGS
THE sum or $4,000.

Bonheur's HORSE Fair Goes for $751;
OO0-Other Paintings in the Art sale.
New York, March IS When two negro
servants, gloyed and ID livery, drew back
the great red curtains that covered Meis.
sonier's masterpiece at Chiokering hall, hush
crept over throng of thousands who at-
tended the third night Of the Stewart sale
II was "Fried1and - s07, r the loving tribute
of the greatest artist of France to the great
est monarch IN Frances history. II did not
intend to paint a battle, Y he sliel II WANTED
10 paint Napoleon at the zenith OF his glory
wanted to paint the love the alteration OF
the soldiers for the great captain in whom
they had faith and fas whom they were
ready to die.
And that he did it no nan has questioned.
a painter less great In words than was Jean
Louis Ernst Mejssonier with his brush, could
10 poor Justice TO the canvas before which
AL New York sat hushed chat night. 1t was
lie tout New York OF verify that made
ap the audience that pacKei tine seats, aisies
and The standing room 1t was New York
aristocratic, New York artistic, and New
York commercial, all melted together incon-
gruousiy but all hushed BY d common spirit
Fhe anctloneer, with an inspiration of COOL
taste that was pleasant, said not word. The
audience gazed. Then after a tins came
forth generously ON the stiffness. $3.50, 600.
Again the audience looked; soille at the
speaker some at The picture Fifty thou
sand dollars tor . little piece OF cloth and
pigment only ninety-six inches long and
ifty-four inches high. Some unconsclousl,
shrugged their shoulders. Others 500
DJOm
The audience breathed a sigh Of relief
They thought IT had gone. The auctioneer,
te-awakened 10 his business duty, had said
's5i 100 over and over again He had
even said 'sfair warning and the Audience
We're gazing at Mir SutIen 81 the prospective
owner, when trom ]. NJ. Rockwell. the mid
lie aged man with close cut iron gray beard
N the gallery 80, 600 z This tine it was
knoedier, the art dealer on Fifth avenue,
S53, O0O.n This was d new man am ,In.
known He sat in the center OF the floor
he was short, stout and middle aged, Will
lark gloves and turned down collar. a54,-
400, 30, 900, $1,000 There was nc
work for the auctioneer now T4iere were
whispers Of the French Government, tine
Coercion Gallery Of this, that and the
other, but Rockwell, knoedler and the new
man had it all to themselves s.5s ,o00n was
followed w 80, %, 81, %, 65, "a, Is. The
usheis We're doing the bidding The men
only nodded to them at s 900 nod up to
"66, 0oU Co. 600 dollars cried tile auc.
tioneer. .'66, 66 at 66, going at 81. 900; 6s.
$1,000 dollars. Down it goes. Last call, 81,
5000 dollars. All done. 66. 66, going at
$780, he said, pauaing amid silence. IS
slowly. $1,000 and-soid.
There was a round Of applause and a buzz
OF conversation. The purchaser shortly af-
forwards slipped from the hall. His name is
.. r. Fletcher, and he bought it for some
enc whose name is not revealed But it il
probably Leland Stanford There were var
ious ruinors. It was said that Jay Gould
sat next TO him and was giving him 81 600
nudges, but this could scarcely have been,
as Mr.. Gould sat two rows in front Of him.
with his back turned to him.
The MISSIONER was gone, and the little
portrait, selt-painted, Of the artist along with
ito. ~ neither. to Europe or the Pacific. coast
could not be told last night, though indica-
lions pointed to the latter Then while
trifie OF Bouguereau's went for SIS, 600, and
two by Constant and Dll5uf for $1,000 and
-, 600 respectively, Elliott Sheppard missing
the latter by only $50, the audience prepared
themselves for the Bonheur- The horse
fair, 2 which had yet to come. The big cur
tains were closed. Nine men with thalgreat- |
est care placed the seve:steen-foot canvas On
its resting shelf, and the curtains were drawn
back. Before the auctionesr could speak
there came, SO quick as to touch each other, &
$4,000, $4,000, $40, geo. 1t fingered for |
moment at $4,000 and then rose to SIS 900. |
It was Knoedler, Rockwell and Avery this
time Rockwell is the man for whom Thomas |
B. Clark secured Meissonier's picture Thurs
day last for $4,000, but heA was bidding I
for himself at the big ones himself Avery
is an art dealer, and was4. bidding for an